Time's Up
by collingwoodhaley
Summary: Bella is Maidservant to Edward Cullen, wealthy son of the Emperor of Fourchette. At the age of twenty-six, all royal Maidservants are considered to be past their prime, and, knowing many secrets of the royal court, are put to death. At twenty-four, Bella is dangerously close to the end of her life. Her time is up. Can Edward help her? Darkward, Royalward, Smoulderward, oh my!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Time's Up

Chapter One

Bella shivered. Every morning, at the break of day, the Motherservant, Ilona, threw open the ancient door to Bella's hut, letting the frigid morning air rush seemed to be an alarm clock of sorts, Bella supposed. This, added to the fact that the tiny, drafty hut hardly ever collected any warmth most nights. Just as Bella would begin to feel her toes, the wooden door would hit the wall, winter morning air swirling in to greet her. Ilona, towering in the doorway, would roar, "UP! UP! Your master waits for you!".

Bella would snicker at this. Edward Cullen waited for no one, least of all a lowly Maidservant suck as Bella Swan was. Each day, after Bella had risen, washed herself in Ilona's tepid leftover bathwater, and wolfed down a meager breakfast of dry oat cake and goat's milk, she would make her way to Master Cullen's chamber.

This morning was no different than any other- The dark, dank smell of sweat, skin, and sin (or what Bella would imagine sin, or skin, for that matter, to smell like) greeted her when she opened the heavy, engraved mahogany doors. The Master lay on top of the sheets, his bronze hair mussed, a leftover satisfied smirk on his face, even in slumber. Three nude women, concubines, most likely, thought Bella, lay draped over Master Cullen and one another, sleeping peacefully. A chalice, once containing strong red liquor, was tipped over on the bedside table. Another on the floor. Yes, this morning was like every other, thought Bella.

She scurried to the large stained-glass window on the opposite wall and threw open the sash, pushing the heavy brocade curtains aside, all the while doing her best to ignore the tawdry scene to her right. Sunlight flooded the Master's chamber, illuminating the brightly colored tapestries that adorned the walls, the shining, polished wood finish around the room, the dust mites that skittered through the air, and- Master Cullen's handsome face as he scowled at her in distaste.

Bella started. The Master rarely looked in her direction, let alone did he show an emotion, whether good or bad, toward her. Bella's face and neck bloomed a bright pink, and she ducked her head to avoid his gaze. She hurried to empty the chamber pot beside the bed. As she reached for the receptacle, a cool, pale hand snatched out at her wrist. Bella yelped in surprise. It was the first time that any man other than her father had ever touched her. She stared at Edward, mouth agape. Master Cullen returned her gaze, but his golden eyes were stony. His mouth, sometimes a pleasing mouth, Bella thought, was pressed into a thin, hard line.

"I am tired of you barging in here and disturbing me while I have company," he spat, gesturing at the sleeping girls beside him. "The next time that it happens, I will confer with my father about your lack of propriety where my sleeping chamber in concerned. We both know what will happen if my father becomes displeased with you. Now, get OUT, before I make haste with my threats. OUT! NOW!".

The Master released Bella's wrist, sending her reeling. She stumbled in to a side table, spilling the contents of a crystal decanter that was perched upon it. Tears stung her eyes. Bella tried to wipe up some of the pooling liquor, but only succeeded in pushing it around and making an even bigger mess. One of the nubile young concubines stirred, and snuggled into a downy quilt. "OUT!", The Master ordered, jumping out of bed (Bella later thought that she had not even noticed if he were naked or not), and flying at Bella, a hand raised high, as if to strike her. She ducked and ran from the room, tears streaming down her cheeks. She slammed the heavy door behind her and hurried down the hall.

She had displeased, no, she had angered her Master. What had she done to deserve such treatment? Ilona would be in a rage when she discovered what had happened. What was Bella to do now? Her only charge, her only charge since she had come to this place as a very young girl, was to attend to the Master's every need or whim, no matter how miniscule. All day, every day, she was to attend to Master Cullen. Only she was to clean his chambers, to bring him his meals, to attend to his garments, to make sure that he was completely comfortable and without a need at all times. Bella had no idea what to do, or where to be at this moment, seeing as the Master had, quite terrifyingly, dismissed her. Bella ran to the only place that she felt safe- The stables. The horses were kind to her, or as kind as a horse could be, as was one of the Stablehands, Jacob. She could seek refuge here, at least for a little while; Until her heart stopped trying to hammer its way out of her chest.

She collapsed on a pile of hay, her head spinning. Perhaps the Master was simply in a foul mood? Bella could not think of a single thing that she had done differently today than any other day. Her routine had remained unchanged for eleven years and some months. She tried not to dwell too much on what the Master had said about what would happen if she continued to displease him, although it couldn't be avoided. Maybe, it would even be a blessing in a way. It would only speed up the inevitable. No matter what she did, no matter what events came about as a result of what had happened that morning, in sixteen months, Bella would be executed.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Note: This is my first fanfic, so be gentle. I tried writing from Edward's POV, but I don't think he is ready to speak the way that I want him to, yet. Thank you so much for reading.

Chapter Two

Bella woke, feverish, from a dream. Was it a dream? She sat up, disoriented. She was in one of the stables. It wasn't a dream, then. The Master had become very angry with her, and had ejected her violently from his sleeping chamber. It was dark, now. She had been here a long time. Had nobody come looking for her? Ilona must by now know what had transpired this morning. She would be furious with Bella.

Bella stood and shook herself off. She was flushed and sticky with sweat; Hay clung to her face. She crept slowly and carefully out of the barn. The royal grounds were as black as pitch without a lantern.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded nearby. Bella froze. Then, hot breath on the shell of her ear. Strong arms encircled her from behind, simultaneously lifting and turning her toward the person from whom that hot breath had come. Her fear turned to sweet relief. It was Jacob, the Stablehand. The kindest one, so far as Bella knew. She had only spoken to him several times, but she liked him. He didn't leer at her as some of the other male staff at court did. His skin was a tawny brown, and his black hair fell into his large, dark eyes. He smelled of earth and... and... Something that Bella couldn't quite identify. It brought her back to her childhood. She liked that.

"Hey, hey, easy, Bella. Where are you going? I was just returning to check on you. I found you here this afternoon, but you looked so peaceful, I let you sleep," Jacob said, placing Bella gingerly on the ground. She stepped back immediately, as though burned, putting distance between herself and the Stablehand. She said nothing. Jacob scrutinized her intently, as though looking for the answer to a question he had not yet asked. Bella lowered her eyes. She could feel the traitorous redness creeping up her chest, onto her neck. She was not accustomed to being so close to a man, and it made her uncomfortable. For a Maidservant to even be touched by a man other than her Master bordered on treason, this made worse by the fact that it was a poor Stablehand doing the touching. She must leave here. NOW. Bella mumbled a fairwell, unceremoniously turned on her heel, and fled.

Through the woods she ran, down the slope, past the small outcropping of cabins reserved for the Stablehands, into the circle of huts where Ilona and the Maidservants made their beds. There was no light, except one: A lantern smouldering in her own window.

Bella halted. Who had gone to her hut? Obviously whomever it had been now knew that she had been gone for hours. A flurry of thoughts bounded about in Bella's head. What would happen to her? Surely, by now, word had made its way to Ilona about the melee in the Master's chamber just after dawn. And then- More guilty thoughts; Who had brought the Master a meal to break his fast, or- His midday and evening meals, for that matter? Who had tidied his soiled linens (for they HAD to be soiled, she thought), or cleaned the liquor from the sidetables, some of which, she herself had wasted?

It pained Bella to think of what she had (or had not, really) done, of what the punishment might be. But, she thought, what could be worse than her inevitable fate?

She crept forward. If something dire awaited her in the hut, so be it. Perhaps, it might be a small mercy. She inched toward the door, and flung it open in haste.

Nothing.

No vile murderer awaited her within; Only her tiny cot in one corner with its shabby bedding, and a small bedtable where the offensive lantern burned as bright as the guilt and fear Bella felt in her heart. She rushed inside and sent the door hurtling back into its frame. She stood with her back up against it, panting. She hadn't realized how quickly her heart was racing. After a moment, she quieted a little. She turned her attention to the lamp. Ilona? Had she been here and left this beacon burning in her wake? Ilona never had entered Bella's space like that- She said that the only private thing that a Maidservant had left other than the thoughts in her own head was the tiny space that she slept in. Ilona had been just like Bella, at one time.

Was it Jacob? She doubted that a Stablehand would afford the risk of such a bold gesture.

Bella had nothing to do but to lay down and try to calm herself. Tomorrow, she would work. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Three

The door thrust open, and it hit the wall. It's a small wonder that the door hasn't yet gone THROUGH the wall, thought Bella. Then, with a jolt- Reality hit her. She would have to face the Master presently.

"UP! Up! Your Master waits for you!", bellowed Ilona. Bella sat bolt upright in her cot. Ilona would surely not today act as she did every morning at dawn if she had heard of what had happened yesterday- Would she? A small hope blossomed in Bella. Perhaps Ilona had heard nothing, then? Had the Master not said a word to the Motherservant? It seemed impossible. Last night, Bella had been sure that there would be a dire punishment for how she had run off and slept the entire day in the stables. Now, it was as if it had never happened.

Ilona moved on to the next hut, waking other Maidservants. Bella lit her lantern and went about readying herself for her day. A small voice inside her niggled at her. Someone knows, it said. Someone was in your hut last night, it said.

She dreaded even the thought of seeing Master Cullen, never mind waking him as she had the previous morning, but it could not be helped. Bella picked her way past the smoking firepits and brush to the castle. She entered through one of the servants' entrances and made her way to the Master's chamber. In front of the door, she paused and breathed in deeply. With an outward breath, she heaved open the door.

Silence. For the first time since Bella had been in his employ, aside from several hunting trips that he had taken, the Master was not sleeping soundly when she arrived to start her morning service. Articles of clothing were strewn about the room. The liquor that Bella had clumsily spilled the morning before was sticky on the bedtable. The bed was unmade, the overturned chalices left where they had fallen. The bedpan lay untouched beside the bed, and there was no evidence of any meals that had been taken in this room lately. The Master always ate in his room, save for the odd Saturday feast or formal occasion.

The Master had left, and from what Bella could gather, not a soul had been here since. This must be the reason that Ilona had not been made aware of what had happened yesterday. Relief flooded Bella's chest.

For the first time, she was completely alone in the Master's bedchamber. A shiver coursed through her, but she could not say why. She quickly tidied the room, and took the linens to the Washerwomen. Her step was light. Even if there was hell to pay for this later, for now, Bella had gotten away with 'it'... Whatever 'it' was. She still had no idea why the Master had been so angry with her, but at the moment, it mattered not.

Each morning, Bella would climb the ornate staircase to Master Cullen's wing. She would tiptoe to the door of his sleeping chamber, breathe-in,out-, and throw open the door- To find no one. She wold almost smile to herself at this, relieved. No Master meant no chamber pots (Bella loathed the chamber pots most of all), no linens stinking of God-knows-what, no kneeling to scrub what someone had wretched up the night before. Other than a little light dusting, some polishing, and an all-over clean once a week, she had nothing to do with the Master gone. She had not even heard of where he had gone... Ilona was her only source of information, and she had told Bella nothing.

It went on in this way for some time. A fortnight, perhaps, thought Bella. She had only recently begun to measure the passage of time with any accuracy. When every day is the same, why count them? A Maidservant had no reason to need to know what day of the week it was. However, with her days numbered as they were, Bella was trying to keep track. She wasn't sure why- Her situation was not unlike one person trying to stop an erupting volcano. It could not be changed, or helped.

On the seventeenth day of Bella's newfound (somewhat) freedom, she cracked. The longing had weakened her, and she had to fulfill the craving that she had been tamping down for so many days now.

Bella reached for one of the Master's books, and removed it from the shelf. She ran her hand over the smooth leather, turning it over in her hands to examine the gilded edges. It was quite uncommon for a Maidservant to be able to read, but Bella's mother had taught her when she was a very young girl. Her mother had come from a middle-class family, and had been taught that literacy was akin to freedom. Bella had spent hours pouring over the few books that her mother had been able to salvage from her old life, memorizing them front to back. The stories were those of her mother's people; Tales of the old gods that Bella's ancestors had worshipped. Though she didn't believe the stories housed in those books, Bella valued the act of reading, almost more than the content that was being read.

Dusting cloth discarded, Bella removed some of the pins from her hair. It tumbled down, relieving her scalp of that incessant pinching. She wandered over to the Master's bed- it was so soft, she thought-, and seated herself. There was no real harm in relaxing for a few moments, was there? She began to read.

LIGHTS! A lantern, shining in Bella's face, a rough hand shaking her awake. The Master was HERE! It was dark! Bella's heart took off at a gallop.

"What in seven hells are you doing sleeping on my bed?", the Master roared, his face an inch from hers.  
Bella jumped to her feet, the forgotten book that she had been so enjoying clattering to the floor. He was on the other side of the bed now, and for all Bella could see, he looked as if he was about to give chase. A lion and a lamb. This was no fair face-off, she thought. She chose to run anyway, but he knew her choice before she had even made it. As Bella tried to dart past her Master, his arm shot out and a strong, slender hand encircled her bicep. She tried to keep going, but the Master yanked her closer to him.

"You think that you can sneak in here and read my books when I am not here? You think that you can sleep in my BED?", he hissed in her ear. Bella let out a strangled sob. The Master had her by the shoulders now, steering her toward the open door. Instead of pushing her through it, he slammed the door shut and pinned her up against it, his hands hard at her shoulders and his thigh between hers. Fear drove a hot spike through Bella's stomach. What was the Master doing? His hands softened a little, and his thumbs worked rough circles up and down her collarbones, hard against the ridges there. Sweat was beading on Bella's brow. The Master was enraged. His thumb came up to her chin, forcing her to look at him. His golden eyes seemed to burn two holes into Bella's head, his prodding thumbs felt as if they were under her skin, not on top of it. He leaned forward. He smells of mint and salt, thought Bella, terrified as she was. His lips were against her ear now. He breathed in deeply through his nose, as if he were smelling her.

"One more transgression such as this, and I will gift you to the harem for your remaining months." The Master's hand raked down Bella's side to her hip, bunching the fabric of her Maidservants' dress there and pulling it taught. "The next time, I will not let you leave." Bella felt the muscles in her belly clench and unclench. She had never felt this strange, exciting sensation before. Her Master gathered up a handful of her hair and wound it tightly around his wrist. He let out a ragged breath as he pressed his cool forehead into Bella's neck. His thigh, between hers, flexed. He pulled gently once on her hair, and released her. He stepped back, eyes dark as night, a wild look about him. His fists were clenched at his sides.

Bella squeaked once before turning, opening the door, and sprinting down the dark hallway as quickly as her clumsy feet would carry her.


End file.
